Instructor Quality 

Assurance Guide

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Contents

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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Overview 1

Training guiding principles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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I. Selection 

Education 2

Experience / technical expertise 3

Certifications/licenses 3

Instructor competencies 3

II. Monitoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

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Preparation 4

Content 4

Delivery 5

Supervision 5

Reinforcement 6

III. Professional Development 

IV. Record Keeping and Documentation 

V. Characterization of Employment 

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Introduction

Overview

Providing education, training, and technical assistance is essential to the COPS Office mission of advancing 

the practice of community policing in the nation’s state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies and 

the communities they serve. Although there are several factors that impact the quality of training, main

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taining highly qualified instructors is critical to providing a successful training program

The purpose of this Instructor Quality Assurance Guide (IQAG) is to ensure that all instructors who deliver 

COPS Office–sponsored courses meet a set of standards and follow protocols that will contribute to their 

effectiveness in the classroom and to standardize the selection, orientation, monitoring, and professional 

development of instructors. All training providers who develop and deliver COPS Office–sponsored trai

ing must ensure that their instructors meet the standards and follow the protocols of the IQAG

A successful instructor quality assurance process requires effective hiring protocols, ongoing monitoring, 

and continued professional development. It is imperative that training providers develop standards and

processes that follow the guidelines established in this document to ensure that instructors possess the 

necessary knowledge, skills, and abilities to deliver quality instruction and maintain their skills

Training guiding principles

Any training or training materials developed or delivered with award funding provided by the Office of 

Community Oriented Policing Services is to adhere to the following guiding principles:

1. Trainings must comply with applicable law.

In developing and conducting training under the award, recipients (and any subrecipients) shall not 

violate the Constitution or any federal law, including any law prohibiting discrimination

2. The content of trainings and training materials must be accurate, appropriately tailored, and focused.

The content of training programs must be accurate, useful to those being trained, and well matched 

to the program’s stated objectives. Training materials used or distributed at trainings must be accurate,

relevant, and consistent with these guiding principles

3. Trainers must be well‐qualified in the subject area and skilled in presenting it.

Trainers must possess the subject matter knowledge and the subject‐specific training experience 

necessary to meet the objectives of the training. In selecting or retaining a trainer, recipients (or subrecipients) should consider such factors as the trainer’s resume and written materials, interviews with

the trainer, observation of other trainings conducted by the trainer, feedback from other entities with 

which the trainer has worked, training participant feedback and evaluations, and the general reputation 

of the trainer
INSTRUCTOR QUALITY ASSURANCE GUIDE

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4. Trainers must demonstrate the highest standards of professionalism.

Trainers must comport themselves with professionalism. While trainings will necessarily entail varying

teaching styles, techniques, and degrees of formality, as appropriate to the particular training goal, pro-

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fessionalism demands that trainers instruct in the manner that best communicates the subject matter 

while conveying respect for all

I. Selection

Selecting trainers is a crucial part of the course process. Be sure to select trainers who are experts in the

course topics, are dynamic presenters, and have a track record of creating good rapport with participants

All instructor names, affiliations, and résumés must be submitted to your COPS Office program manager 

for review and vetting at least 90 calendar days prior to conducting training. Instructors should not be

hired to deliver training until your program manager provides approval. Once your program manager

approves the course instructors, the instructors should be trained on delivering the course material

If trainers are added to or removed from the training cadre, inform your COPS Office program manager so 

that new trainers can be reviewed, vetted, and trained

Your COPS Office program manager will work with you to determine the minimum number of trainers 

needed to deliver the course. The instructor team should include experienced instructors who can su

port and institutionalize the material

Selection of qualified instructors should be based on the following criteria:

• Education

• Experience / technical expertise

• Special qualifications

• Certifications and licenses

• Instructor competencies

Education

Each training provider should determine the minimum formal education that is required to instruct a 

particular course. In lieu of formal education, the training provider may substitute experience, occupation-related certificates, on-the-job training, etc., according to its established policies and procedures o

practices. Minimum educational requirements should be established for each course. These standard

should be realistic and related to the course instruction
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Experience / technical expertise

To select appropriate instructors, training providers should establish the type and level of expertise 

needed to instruct each course. Based on the level of expertise needed, training providers should establish

the minimum years of experience required to instruct a particular course. Instructors should be chosen

to deliver training based on knowledge and experience related to course technical requirements. As with

educational requirements, technical expertise and years of experience should be realistic so as not to 

unnecessarily screen out qualified applicants. The COPS Office recommends training providers conduct

interviews with agencies who have employed the applicant in the past. Requirements for experience and

technical expertise must be clearly designated in the formal instructor requirements for each course

Certifications/licenses

Some courses may require specific certifications or licenses. In such cases, requirements for certifications

and licenses must be clearly designated in the formal instructor requirements for each course. If none are

required, the instructor requirements should specify so. Training providers should establish procedures to

verify credentialing for accuracy and currency and take steps to prohibit instructors whose credentials are 

dated or expired

Instructor competencies

Prior to delivering COPS Office–funded courses, newly hired instructors should be required to (1) attend 

and participate in at least one class of the course(s) they have been designated to teach and (2) conduct a 

practice session of the assigned course(s) in which their knowledge and skills are evaluated by the training 

provider. The purpose of attending the course prior to teaching is to allow the new instructor to observe

how the course is taught and to familiarize the new instructor with the course material and administrative 

procedures, for which the new instructor will be responsible

The purpose of conducting a practice session is to provide feedback to instructors in areas where they 

need to improve. To accomplish this, the training provider should designate an approving official to

observe the instructor conducting the course in a classroom setting prior to permitting him or her to 

instruct without supervision. The role of the approving official is to approve instructors that deliver COPS

Office–sponsored courses

Training providers must provide the COPS Office with a copy of their formal instructor requirements for 

selection and orientation prior to delivery of the first course
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II. Monitoring

Once instructors have met all of the requirements of selection and orientation, they should become part 

of an ongoing monitoring program designed to ensure that instructional skills are maintained and that 

instructors continue to meet the minimum standards specified in these guidelines. Training providers are

responsible for establishing monitoring and remediation guidance and policy for their instructors, which 

may be more stringent than these guidelines. The providers’ guidelines should establish quality assurance

rating standards and associated remediation actions. The policy should provide clear guidance on how

often instructors will be monitored, the competencies they are being rated against, and what actions will 

be required based on quality assurance results

It is recommended that training providers conduct random instructor audits to ensure quality instruction 

of courses and that instructors continue to meet their standards. Instructors should complete a refresher

course as needed to maintain instructional effectiveness

At a minimum, instructors should be monitored and evaluated on the following:

Preparation

• Arrives on time and prepared to instruct

• Ensures the physical training environment is appropriate for learning, to the extent possible

• Introduces him/herself and the course structure

• Allows students to introduce themselves

• Covers the ground rules for the course, as well as student conduct

• Connects new information with prior knowledge, experience, or lessons

• Works to establish rapport with the course participants

• Makes accommodations for persons with disabilities

Content

• Clearly states lesson objectives

• Briefly explains an overview of the course content

• Avoids teaching objectives in introductions

• Teaches content contained in the course materials as prescribed

• Uses training aids and instructional materials specified in the instructor guide
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• Refers participants to student materials when specified in the instructor guide

• Able to enhance the course with relevant subject matter expert examples

• Responds to participant questions confidently and accurately

Delivery

• Displays respect to the participants’ diversity; does not discriminate

• Dresses appropriately

• Establishes positive rapport; avoids defensiveness

• Avoids open disagreements with law enforcement, DOJ, and COPS Office policies and procedures

• Avoids distracters (e.g. excessive use of crutch words, distracting mannerisms, or unnatural pacin

• Displays poise, enthusiasm, and confidence

• Avoids reading lesson materials verbatim

• Uses voice effectively

• Uses movement and gestures appropriately

• Pace is not too fast/slow for audience

• Avoids excessive use of “war stories”/irrelevant examples

• Uses training media, visual aids, and equipment effectively

• Introduces and concludes videos and films

• Provides interim or final summaries for reinforcement of content

• Introduces and performs demonstrations in accordance with the course materials

• Emphasizes importance of safety and judgment-free zones

• Allows for student involvement or practice

• Clearly reviews exercise directions and procedures

Supervision

• Monitors all groups or individuals to facilitate exercises and activities

• Debriefs activities and demonstrations by providing effective feedback

• Uses effective intervention techniques

• Reminds participants of ground rules when appropriate

• Manages time according to schedule
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Reinforcement

• Paraphrases questions clearly and concisely

• Repeats participant questions to ensure clarity

• Responds appropriately to irrelevant questions

• Includes questions to check retention

• Includes thought-provoking questions to encourage discussion and interaction

• Confirms participant answers

• Gives participants the opportunity to respond before providing answers

• Follows pre/post-test and course evaluation guidelines

• Specifies materials that may be used during tests (if applicable)

The COPS Office will also monitor instructors. COPS Office monitoring will occur during the pilot testing

of the course, as well as periodically throughout the delivery of the course. If at any time the COPS Office

has a concern with a trainer, that trainer will no longer be allowed to deliver the COPS Office–sponsored 

course either for the duration of the course or until a COPS Office corrective action has occurred

III. Professional Development

Professional development is critical to maintaining a highly effective cadre of instructors. Although

resources may not always permit, training providers should consider providing professional development 

opportunities to their instructors through ongoing training, conferences, workshops, and seminars
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IV. Record Keeping and Documentation

Training providers will be responsible for maintaining records of instructors. These records should include

the following:

• Résumés/CVs

• Formal instructional training or certifications 

• A list of all of the approved instructors for COPS Office–sponsored courses

• Monitoring results and any remediation actions taken as a result of monitoring

• Professional development activities taken by instructors

At the request of the COPS Office, training providers are to submit records and documentation to the 

COPS Office

V. Characterization of Employment

Instructors of COPS Office–sponsored courses should not say that they are employees of the U.S. Department of Justice or the COPS Office. They should not say that they represent the COPS Office or the

Department of Justice or are delivering the course on behalf of either entity. Instructors should draw a

clear line between their roles as instructors for the training provider and the sponsorship of the course

One option would be for instructors to say, “I am presenting this course, which is funded by the COPS 

Office, on behalf of [training provider].
U

S. Department of Justic

Office of Community Oriented Policing Services

145 N Street NE

Washington, DC 20530

To obtain details on COPS programs, call 

the COPS Office Response Center at 800-421-6770

Visit the COPS Office online at cops.usdoj.gov. e11160779

Updated August 2023